A number of applications and services that support sharing video files exist on the Internet. For example, some web sites allow users to upload video files to a database. These videos are also searchable via metadata provided in the submission process. Users can even charge audiences to view the videos.
Other web sites let video producers upload their video onto servers, arrange them into programs, display them to other Internet users, and make money if anyone watches them. However, these video hosting services are only for sharing stored video files. They do not enable the user to share the user's video or camera with others in real time.
Some web sites offer a comprehensive search engine of webcams from around the world. The portal maintains a database of live webcams on the Internet, allowing users to search by keyword or browse through the categories and subcategories. Users can see what is happening around the world in real time. However, these sites only provide searching and indexing of real time cameras. They do not provide any infrastructure support for sharing live videos.
Some video chatting services allow users to share cameras with others in real-time. However, most of these video charting applications use unicast methods to send video from the capturer to audiences and therefore can only serve a limited number of users in each session.
Overall, an efficient way for an ordinary Internet user to share a live video with a large audience in real time is still lacking.